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Hello Teen Resisters! It's been a while, huh? This serves as our official August list before we resume our regular biweekly schedule for the year. We have an exciting year ahead, full of election news and lots of wonderful work. But before we jump into that... we hope everyone has had a great summer amid this hectic news cycle. We're sending lots of good vibes for the new school year!So let's get you briefed on some of this news.

What Went Down:

Fires in the Amazon: The Amazon Rainforest is on fire. The months of July and August mark the dry season in the Amazon and the 2019 dry season has been the driest since 2013, with an 83% increase since 2018 according to INPE, Brazil’s space research center. The agency has detected a record number of fires so far this year (almost 75,000), due in part to the extremity of this dry season. Reuters reports that the fires have been contributing to growing concern about the Brazilian President, ultraconservative Jair Bolsonaro’s environmental policy. Bolsonaro took office in January with the promise of developing Brazil for mining and farming, which requires the burning of forest land to clear it.Cnet reports that President Bolsonaro believes these fires were started by non-governmental organizations in response to reductions in their funding; others believe Bolsonaro gave the orders to start the fires. The Atlanticconfirms that they were definitely human-induced and could not have been purely natural. Brazilian warplanes have begun dumping water over the forest in attempts to control the fires. This tragedy was receiving minimal media attention until there was a public outcry on social media. #ActForTheAmazon was trending on Twitter, with information (and misinformation) spreading around many platforms. The Amazon Rainforest has often been referred to as the Earth's Lungs because of the high amounts of oxygen it releases. Beyond that, it contains some of the world's most diverse ecosystems and is home to a variety of indigenous peoples whose lives are threatened by the fires.Here's a great article explaining the links between Bolsonaro's government and the fires.What You Can Do:

Donate! Here are some organizations who are doing super important work to protect the Amazon along with some information from their respective websites:

Protect an Acre: “Protect An Acre (PAA) grants support grassroots leadership and local organizations in forest regions to protect threatened forest lands and to protect the human rights of communities that have co-existed with and depended on these regions for generations.”

The World Wide Fund for Nature: “With the money raised, our Amazon teams along with local organisations will carry out urgent work on the ground including: Supporting key local and indigenous communities’ needs for medical support, fire fighter training and security; Working with local governments where possible on procedures for fighting fires and deforestation; Campaigning for stronger action from the government.”

Amazon Conservation Association: “Protecting the Amazon means safeguarding millions of species of animals, plants, and insects who call it home. It means allowing indigenous communities and locals whose livelihoods depend on the forest to thrive. It means stabilizing our planet's climate and protecting 20% of the oxygen production of our world. It means a lot.”

Reduce your intake: beef production and paper production are both linked to deforestation. By reducing the amount of beef you eat and paper you use (and by encouraging those around you to do the same), you can contribute to ending deforestation.

Use Ecosia.org: It’s a search engine which plants a tree for every 45 searches you place through their engine!

Sign this petition started by Greenpeace telling President Bolsonaro and his government to protect the Amazon.

Continue to fight against fascism and climate change in big ways through governmental change. Head to our Index by Issue page to look at more of our coverage on Bolsanaro and climate change.

Listen to the indigenous Amazonian activists who are speaking out about the fires-- they are the people whose lives are most affected by this destruction and also the people who know best how to take care of the rainforest.

Trump's Trade War with China: ​As the 45th Group of Seven (G7) Summit is taking place right now, economic pressure is increasing for President Trump. The reason for this? While he’s boasted about America’s economic boost during his presidency, economists all around the world are disagreeing. Instead, some economists are even predicting an economic recession heading its way to us in 2020. The root cause of this is Trump’s ongoing trade war with China. G7 leaders are especially concerned about this because, despite considerable warnings, Trump is still continuing the trade war headstrong, with China retaliating with equal force. In fact, this past Friday, Beijing announced that they are going to impose new tariffs on $75 billion worth on American goods. Trump responded, saying he plans to raise tariffs on $250 billion worth of Chinese goods from 25 to 30% as well as a tariff raise of 10 to 15% on an additional $300 billion of Chinese goods. Another tariff on automobiles is simultaneously being set to start this year on December 15th, which will be 25%. In short, trade is becoming too tense for comfort. The greater problem is that this tensity has tangible impacts on our economy. The more tariffs grow, the more investors lose faith in the economy. What’s frightening is that this has been a precedent for every recession in the past 50 years. The significance of the US-China trade relationship isn’t anything to be taken lightly, either. In 2018, $700 billion worth of goods were traded between the two, not to mention that America is currently China’s largest foreign creditor. This massive relationship shows its importance both quickly and vastly. Just with last week’s raised tariffs on China’s side, the Dow Industrial Average has shown to plunge 2.4% so far. With the way things are looking, it’s unfortunate to say that it’s safe to assume we can be expecting more of these economic plunges in the near future.What You Can Do:

With the 2020 presidential elections just around the corner, you can most definitely help the situation by looking into the candidates running against Trump and see what their ideas are to improve the economy. Follow along with our upcoming 2020 campaigning resources.

Talk to the adults around you. Not only can you learn more about the US-China trade war with discussions, you can also help to let them know what President Trump is actually doing, despite his campaign approach of boasting about the economy booming. Whether it’s your parents or even new voters that are upperclassmen, you can notify them that when they vote, they should keep in mind what each candidate is willing to do about the trade war and the economy in general.

Scott Kennedy, director of the project on Chinese business and political economy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies champions that one of the largest problems about the trade war is that Democrats and Republicans are disagreeing and not seeing the devastating effects and potential impacts. The best we can do is to talk about this on social media, political clubs, etc. to help get everyone educated on this!

Leave a note on the White House Comment Line telling Trump that this trade war needs to end. Number: 202-456-1111Head to our Basics page for script help.

Planned Parenthood's Withdrawal from Title X: On August 19th, 2019, Planned Parenthood was forced to withdraw from the Title X program due to Trump and Pence’s restrictive rules regarding abortion stances for the organization. This rule prohibits Title X recipients from providing or referring patients for abortion except in the instances of rape, incest, or medical emergency. The new regulation is also a severe shift from the previous 2000 Title X Rule, where Title X providers were allowed to refer abortion centers to people who asked for them. Due to the violent clash with this new rule and Planned Parenthood’s ethics and ideologies, an attorney for Planned Parenthood thus made the statement that Planned Parenthood clinics “now have no option but to withdraw from the Title X program.” (Want to understand the history of Planned Parenthood and reproductive justice? Check out our Repro Rights, Comprehensively feature.) Less than a week later, the effects of this decision were imminently seen. In Cleveland, OH, a Planned Parenthood mobile clinic had to reduce its staff to part-time employees and now, may possibly shut down. In Minneapolis, MN, clients accustomed to free checkups are now being billed $200 per visit. Planned Parenthood has served members of the low-income community for decades and helps 1.6 million Title X participants receive affordable health care - cancer screenings, birth control, STD testing and treatment, abortion, and more; thus this rule placed by Trump’s administration is detrimental.

What You Can Do:

Text PROTECT X to 22422 to find out how to take action at your location.

Use this helpful Planned Parenthood calling kit to call your Senators about the Title X situation. This page offers a script, number, and info.

August Shootings: In a span of fewer than 24 hours on August 3rd and 4th, two mass shootings—the first in El Paso, Texas and the second in Dayton, Ohio—left a combined total of more than 30 individuals dead and more than 50 wounded. The El Paso shooter, now in custody, killed 22 people in a Walmart near the Cielo Visto Mall. The massacre has since been characterized as a hate crime: directly before the shooting, the shooter posted a political document to the online message board 8chan detailing his hatred of Latinx immigrants and so-called “race-mixing,” in addition to other white supremacist messages. As figures such as Beto O’Rourke and Cory Booker have pointed out, some of the language of the manifesto—warnings of a “Hispanic invasion” and against Democratic “open borders”—is directly reflective of Trump’s tirelessly racist rhetoric. The Dayton shooter killed 9 before being shot fatally by police. This horrific pair of events followed another 2 shootings on August 2nd in Maryland and Virginia, claiming a total of 5 lives, and the Dayton shooting marked 251 mass shootings in 216 days. Amnesty International recently joined a growing list of countries in issuing warnings for travel to the U.S. because of an increased risk of gun violence. The facts and figures and stories are endless, and we are devastated to have to address these massacres because they were senseless and preventable. We send all of our love and strength to those impacted by the shootings most harshly—the families and communities of victims—and we pledge to stand with them in every way we can.

What You Can Do:

Call/email the Walmart CEO, Doug McMillom, urging him to alter the way that Walmart sells firearms—either by banning the sale of them completely or by working with retailers and leveraging ultimatums to force them to make weapons safer. (Read more about it here.)

Research gun control initiatives in your state governments—especially if you live in a state with a Democratically-controlled legislature, where gun control bills have a greater likelihood of being passed—and call your representatives to demand that they become their first priority.

Make connections between Trump’s/other politicians’ racist rhetoric and the prevalence of hate crimes, and then continue to call them out—through social media, letters to the editor of a newspaper, etc.—in every way you can​

The nine victims of the shooting in Dayton, OH

18 of the 22 people murdered in El Paso.

Hong Kong Protests: Hong Kong UpdateThe current protest movement in Hong Kong has been happening for months, since a proposed bill in the Hong Kong legislature that would have allowed it to extradite criminals to mainland China. Hongkongers opposed to the bill argued that it would China too much power, including the power to arrest and detain Hongkongese critics of the Chinese government. Though this is not the first Hong Kong protest movement (protests have occurred periodically since the region became semi-autonomous, but still technically Chinese, in 1997), it may be critical in determining Hong Kong’s and China’s future. Facing overwhelming opposition, the legislature agreed to suspend the bill, but many protesters wanted the bill gone completely. Anti-government and anti-establishment sentiments have grown dramatically: a recent survey of a thousand Hongkongese protesters found that 80% of them supported radical and/or violent action against the government if it continued to not comply with their demands. While many demonstrations remain peaceful, violence has become increasingly frequent. The Hong Kong police, who have been criticized internationally for their usage of excessive force, have fired tear gas, water cannons, rubber bullets and “warning shots” at protesters, and have even disguised themselves as protesters in order to make arrests. There have also been reports of police arresting children, as many of the leaders of Hong Kong’s new movement are young people. Public outrage at police action has inspired yet more protests, and there is little sign of them ending soon.

What You Can Do:

Stay informed on the situation in Hong Kong.

If you live in Hong Kong and support the protests, you have a right under the Constitution to peaceably assemble. Use that right, and be mindful of your safety.

Support the Hong Kong Free Press, which has been documenting the protests and abuses of power by police.

We know that's a lot of news to digest. Have a great last couple days of summer and an amazing start to school!

Hey Teen Resisters!!Long time no see! We've taken a bit of a summer break (and hope all of you have as well), so a LOT (more than usual) has happened since the last time we published a list. We obviously cannot cover everything, but we've tried to highlight we think are some of the most important happenings from the past month/ things to be aware of going forward. Feel free to skip around if the whole list is too much to handle, and take a deep breath before diving in.xx,​TR

what went down

2020 Race UpdateAs 2020 draws nearer, so too does the presidential election it holds. And the chaotic tumult of the past four years hasn’t failed in attracting a large pool of individuals eager to step in—there are 24 candidates on the Democratic front, though only four have garnered over 10 percent in the national polling averages: Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and Kamala Harris. These four have advocated primarily for economic reform through some combination of policies concerning protection of low-wage workers and a disappearing middle class, the promotion of manufacturing, tax cuts for the middle class, Medicare for All, and free college tuition. Controversial social issues have also stolen much of the conversation.

Warren, a Democratic senator from Massachusetts, and Sanders, an Independent senator from Vermont, are typically portrayed in the media as the fiery progressives. Harris stands out because of her background as a criminal prosecutor, while Biden seems thus far to be running on a platform entirely based on a return to normalcy. And although those four are currently the top candidates poll-wise, there are a plethora of others who have their own passionate followings.

It’s still very early in the race, and we don’t want to pass judgement on any candidates yet.Our advice? Take time to learn more about each individual candidate before you decide who you’re going to pull for. Try to figure out what their actual policies are, and don’t trust everything that the media pushes (to take just one example, contrary to popular narratives, Sanders and Warren are actually quite different). Later on in the race, we’ll most likely do a feature that’s more concentrated on individual candidates/on tensions between them, so look out for that. For now, read and learn on your own!! A great place to do that is the second round of the upcoming Democratic primary debates, which will take place on July 30th and 31st. It’s okay to be excited about this election. Finding a candidate you love and pouring your heart and soul into getting them elected is a pretty amazing feeling, and the stakes are higher than ever this year—no matter what, 2020 is an opportunity for decisive and transformative change.

One last note: don’t forget—all of the House and about a third of the Senate is up for reelection in 2020 too! If you can vote in 2020, be sure to find out who’s running in your district. Local elections often have the biggest impact on our lives; don’t let the national coverage of the presidential distract you from what’s happening on your home turf.

What you can do:

At this point in the campaign process, most work is PR rather than canvassing, so there isn’t a ton of volunteer work available. However, you can call these candidates and tell them you’re not voting for them unless they promote a specific issue (do this even if you’re not old enough to vote).

Learn about the candidates!! Separate your own opinion from those of the people and forces around you.

Fight for these candidates to recognize climate change as a top priority. Although all four of the leading candidates acknowledge it as an issue, none are giving it the attention it deserves. Don’t forget: if we don’t reduce carbon emissions to zero in the next decade, scientists predict that humans will go extinct by 2050. Call every candidate you can and tell them that the mitigation of climate change must be at the top of their list of priorities.

Puerto Rico Protests Succeed in Ousting GovernorRecent protests in Puerto Rico turned into celebration after the resistance of hundreds of thousands of people from all over the island—blocking roads, surrounding the governor’s mansion, singing, dancing, scuba diving, performing acrobatics, kayaking, riding on horses, banging pots and pans, doing yoga, praying, and so much more, all with the hashtag #RickyRenuncia—succeeded in forcing former governor Ricardo A. Rosselló to resign.

The immediate cause for the protests was a 900-page report by the Center for Investigative Journalism publishing private messages between Rosselló and his closest advisers. In these messages, he used derogatory language towards women, particularly female politicians, LGBTQI+ individuals, overweight people, and Puerto Ricans—his own people—in general.

The messages also hinted at potential corruption; the Puerto Rico Bar Association reported that seven possible crimes had been revealed in the chat, including a threat against the mayor of San Juan and instances of diverting funds, improper disclosure of private information, and intention to fire employees based on political beliefs.​Rosselló’s administration has been colored with corruption—he has been known to buy votes with handouts such as tax breaks and vacation days, and two weeks ago, six former members of his administration were charged with federal corruption charges. Beyond these instances and what came to light in the report, Puerto Ricans used this opportunity to protest years of financial mistreatment and the government’s insufficient response to Hurricane Maria, which took place nine months after Rosselló first took office. At the time, there was no time for protests, because people were struggling to survive. But now, with many still without electricity almost a year after the disaster happened, the people of Puerto Rico were ready to channel their anger and energy into resistance.

This isn’t much of what can you do-situation, since the protests succeeded, except for this: use what happened in Puerto Rico as inspiration, a shining example of what popular resistance is capable of doing.

Check out the “Natural Disasters” section of our Index by Issue to find more ways to support and fight for Puerto Rico in its continuing recovery from Hurricane Maria.​​

Hawaii Telescope ProtestsPlans to begin construction of a telescope at the peak of Mauna Kea, a sacred summit in indigenous Hawaiian tradition (and also the tallest peak in Hawaii), have encountered a roadblock in the form of protests at the base of the mountain this past week. So far, hundreds have joined in peaceful protest blocking the one road leading to the summit, and at least 33 kupuna (elders) have been arrested.

The site is ideal for astronomy due to its high altitude, low light pollution, and dry climate, and those in favor of the telescope claim that its creation will create new jobs and positively impact the local economy. But the area is also a highly sacred space in native Hawaiian tradition, and legal challenges and peaceful protests against the telescope have been ongoing for the past four years. The fight is still very much ongoing: protests continue, and figures from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Elizabeth Warren to Hawaii’s own delegates, Rep. Ed Case and Senator Mazie Hirono, have defended and expressed solidarity for the native movement.

What can you do?

Further reading on the protests with an emphasis on history--click here

Call your representative to express your support for maintaining the sacred land:

​​Hi, my name is _____, I'm from _____, and I'm calling to ask you to support the indigenous people of Hawaii in preventing the Thirty Meter Telescope from being built on sacred land. I believe that this is important because past telescope projects on Mauna Kea have desecrated the mountain, and it is vital that we continue to fight colonialism, even in its modern forms, and support America’s native communities. I urge you to use your conscience in taking a firm stance on this topic. Thank you.

Support the rights of indigenous people everywhere, in any way you can.

Eric Garner Ruling5 years ago, Eric Garner died at the hands of Staten Island police, sending shockwaves of sadness and anger through NYC and America and helping to catalyze the Black Lives Matter movement. Attorney General William Barr recently announced that there will be no federal charges for the N.Y.P.D. officer primarily involved in his death, Daniel Pantaleo, ending a yearslong internal debate in the Justice Department. The infuriating decision was immediately condemned by the Garner family and their supporters, and the pressure has shifted: one of the only people who has the power to do anything now is Mayor de Blasio, who could fire Officer Pantaleo (he doesn't have direct power to do so, but he has immense sway over the Police Department, which does). Countless high-profile figures in New York City's government have called for de Blasio to take action, who has declined to pass judgement, saying that he respects Officer Pantaleo's right to due process.

What can you do?

Support the Black Lives Matter movement in any and every way you can (the link to take action is here).

Call Mayor de Blasio at 212-NEW-YORK or reach him through his contact page here and demand that he take action to fire Officer Pantaleo.

Trump’s Explicit and Sickening Racism, Once Again: The “Go Back” TweetsOn July 14th, 2019, President Donald Trump tweeted a series of messages targeting U.S. Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, and Ayanna Pressley, telling them to “go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came.” Later on, he released a statement clarifying that “if they’re not happy here, they can leave [America],” but he failed to address the fact that all four Congresswomen are U.S. citizens (only one, Omar, is an immigrant) or the real issue here: the racism rooted in the message.

Ocasio-Cortez, Omar, Tlaib, and Pressley, known as “the squad,” are known to openly oppose Trump and his agenda—the tweets were initially written as a response to these four Congresswomen’s votes against a House border funding bill (they believed it didn’t do enough in protecting against inhumane conditions there, which is a separate). But this attack wasn’t ideological in the slightest.

It was some horrible combination of xenophobia, white nationalism, ignorance, and racism, not unexpected coming from him but difficult to see nonetheless. The kickback was swift and fierce: all four congresswomen attacked, Nancy Pelosi, and countless others across the country denounced the message perpetuated in the tweets. A recent Fox News poll found that Americans overwhelmingly believe the tweets were racist.

For decades, a common attack against people who don’t look traditionally “American” (i.e. white) has been to “go back” to wherever they came from. The insult has been spit at immigrants, POC, and other minority groups, and it’s become valuable weapon in xenophobic propaganda. “Go back to your country” is essentially another way of saying “you’re not welcome here,” and while words alone don’t seem like a violent issue, they do enable violent and dangerous behavior—hate crimes. During a recent Trump reelection rally, supporters chanted “send her back” as a reference towards Ilhan Omar and Trump’s contempt towards her. Vice President Mike Pence released a statement on CBS about a week later, briefly stating that “the president wasn’t pleased about [the rally chant]. Neither was I.” However, both have not condemned the actions of their audience, instead stating that the group were just “incredible patriots.” According to a Washington Post analysis, reported hate crimes rose by 226 percent in counties where Trump held a campaign rally.

So when xenophobic behavior exhibited by the president allows others to follow his example, what can we do?

Hold the people around you accountable! Tell them that their harmless jokes are not harmless, and if possible, attempt to understand and alter xenophobic perspectives. Don’t be afraid to challenge friends, family, coworkers, teachers, and even public officials if they are seemingly perpetuating racial stereotypes/blatantly disrespecting others. Silence normalizes hatred, and in a world that is increasingly opinionated, staying out of issues actually breeds more. If you see/hear something, say something!

Educate yourself and feel free to respectfully share that knowledge. Before you participate in discussions surrounding racism and immigration, read about the xenophobia behind the words “go back to your country” and how harmful it can be in this NPR article.​​

Migrant RaidsPresident Donald Trump recently ordered ICE to conduct a mass roundup of undocumented immigrants throughout 10 major cities in the U.S. starting on Sunday, July 14th, sparking fear amongst families seeking asylum in the US. These cities include: Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, and San Francisco. Since the deportation raids were announced, panic has grown as undocumented individuals rushed to find sanctuary and safety for themselves and their families.

More than 2000 deportation orders were sent out prior to the raids. However, only 35 arrests have been made out of the 2000+ targeted since they have begun. Speculation has arisen about the ICE crackdown being solely a political stunt by Trump to cause fear and further divide the nation, possibly even one that could strengthen his base in the 2020 election and scare the opposition. Regardless, though, with everything that’s going on, it’s important to be prepared and acknowledge the situation. Learn more about your rights as an immigrant here in terms of encounters with ICE or law enforcement in your everyday life.​What can you do?

Remember that it all starts with you! Share your thoughts, opinions, and other stories on social media to bring notice to the growing issue! ​​

Citizenship Question on the Upcoming 2020 CensusShould a question about citizenship be included on the national 2020 census? The Supreme Court basically said no (more on that later), and, at this point, the Trump administration has effectively no chance of winning the legal battles necessary to get it onto the survey. But it’s important to understand the root of where this proposed addition came from in the first place.

First, some background: after a battle in lower courts, the case finally reached the Supreme Court, which ruled that the administration could not include the question on the census (with some stipulations).

The federal government is required to provide an honest reason for including new questions or making alterations to the survey, and Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the majority opinion that the reason the Trump administration gave for including the citizenship question “appears to have been contrived.” In giving this ruling, the Supreme Court was essentially acknowledging what is recognized by many as the real reason the Trump administration wanted to include the question on the census: to manipulate both the voting demographics of the country as a whole and the mindsets of immigrants and people of color living in this country.

There’s evidence that the inclusion of the question on the census would have discouraged noncitizens from filling out the census. Since the census is used to draw districts for House representation and to distribute billions of dollars in federal funding, the question could both give Republicans an electoral advantage and take funding away from communities that need it. Regardless of whether or not the question is included, damage has already been done. Simply the attempt to put the question on the survey has sowed distrust of the government and doubt of the confidentiality of survey results in the minds of noncitizens, which will inevitably alter the census results in Republicans’ favor. This is another part of the narrative of trying to push minorities and immigrants out of this country from within and make them feel like their voices shouldn’t be heard, and we need to continue to denounce it.

State Assembly Spotlight: Newly Legalized Mental Health Days in Oregon SchoolsOregon recently passed a bill that allows students to take excused absences explicitly for mental health reasons. The bill, which was signed by Governor Kate Brown (D), allots five such absences for every three months of school. Prior to the new law, schools only had to give students excused absences for physical illness.

Opponents of the bill pointed to Oregon’s absenteeism rates, which are among the highest in the country: one in six Oregon students missed 10 percent or more of school days in the 2015-2016 school year. Critics argued that the bill would just give students more reasons to skip school. The bill’s supporters countered that the purpose of the bill wasn’t to encourage absenteeism, but rather to help students be more honest about why they did not want to go to school.

Mental health is an especially prevalent issue in Oregon, whose suicide rate is 40 percent higher than the national average. A survey of eighth-graders in the state found that 17 percent had seriously considered suicide in the past year. Proponents of the bill argued that the new law could encourage such students to be more open and seek help for mental illness.

What You Can Do:

If you want to see a bill like Oregon’s passed in your state, then lobby your state legislature for one!

You can also try talking to your individual school (or school district) to ask them to allow absences specifically for mental health reasons. ​​

And, in lieu of a puppy video this week, we've included something that we hope will give all of you a well-deserved laugh.

Hey Teen Resisters!First off, happy Pride month!!! This year commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots against anti-LGBTQ police violence in June 1969, one of the most important events in the queer liberation movement. Before we dive in, we want to highlight a few smaller happenings/resources that you should note:

Rep. Kildee's Sudan Resolution: After months of antidemocratic military rule, political instability, and chaos, multiple peaceful protestors were killed on June 3rd in Sudan. In response, Democratic Rep. Dan Kildee just introduced a bipartisan Congressional resolution calling on the Sudanese government to transition to a civilian-led government and end violence against its citizens. Read more about the resolution, which has rapidly gained attention and popularity, here.

NYC Queens District Attorney Special Election: If you live in NYC and are looking for an election to get yourself involved in, this is the one! When conservative, establishment-minded Queens District Attorney Richard Brown died May 3rd after almost three decades in office, Democrats (7, to be exact) jumped at the chance to replace him. All are pushing, to varying degrees, more progressive policies than he implemented, with some hoping to transform the office into a tool of social justice and reform. Here's a summary of where candidates stand on the issues and here's a roadmap of who they've been endorsed by, in case you want help creating an opinion so that you can pick one to call/canvass/volunteer for! :)

what went down

House Passes Dream and Promise Act We have some really good news: on June 4th, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 6, the Dream and Promise Act. Thanks to tireless advocacy from activists and organizations like United We Dream, all 230 House Democrats voted in favor of the bill, and 7 Republicans joined them.

The act cancels and prevents future deportation proceedings against any recipient of TPS (Temporary Protected Status) or DACA (the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program). Beneficiaries of both plans are also granted legal, conditional permanent resident status in the US for 10 years. It also protects most people who entered the US as minors from deportation and allows them to legally remain in the US for the same amount of time.

This act has been the centerpiece of immigrant-youth led advocacy on policy for a long time, and its passage is an incredible milestone in the fight to make the US a place of welcome for all immigrants.

However, the act hasn’t passed the Senate yet, where it faces opposition from G.O.P. lawmakers. The Trump administration continues to facilitate the deportation and detention of thousands of immigrants. The next and equally as important fight is to push back against further funding for the institutions responsible for this damage to immigrant communities and families. Congress is currently working to pass an appropriations (budget) bill for the next part of the year. We need to make sure the budget doesn’t support, among other things, ICE and CBP.

Make sure you’re using the right script depending on whether your Representative is in the appropriations (budget) committee or not.

Call your Senators to ask them to push for a vote on the Dream Act. While chances of its passage there are slim, it’s important to set the precedent for future action by bringing the issue to vote. This is also a way to get Senators on the record for their positions on the act.

My name is ____, and I’m calling from ____. I'm calling to ask you to support, push, and vote for H.R. 6, the Dream and Promise Act. The hundreds of thousands of individuals who have lived here for their whole lives--recipients of the DACA or TPS program--deserve to stay here, to be supported by the United States government, and to be given the right to continue their lives without the all-consuming threat of deportation. I urge you to use your conscience in making your decision on this topic. Thank you.​

Mexico Tariffs/Potential National Emergency DeclarationOn May 30th, as tensions continued to rise between the United States and Mexico, President Trump announced that he would impose tariffs on all Mexican imports in an attempt to decrease migration rates between Mexico and the United States. It’s almost certain that the plan would damage both America’s and Mexico’s economies—the price of Mexican goods in the U.S. would increase exponentially, and in response Mexico would likely increase their own taxes on US. goods, decreasing demand for them in the country. Trump would be able to implement the plan without consulting Congress by utilizing the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977, which allows the president to declare a state of national emergency in the case of an eminently imposing threat. In theory, by allowing a president to bypass Congress in such a state of emergency, the act gives the president the power to most effectively protect America—and, perhaps more importantly, trust that they will not abuse that power.

President Trump, unsurprisingly, has taken gross advantage of this ability to declare a national emergency in the past, unlike other U.S. presidents (Remember this?). The clear abuse of power that would take place if Trump were to declare the emergency (he hasn’t yet), as well as the economically destructive nature of this tariff, has decreased Republican support for the policy—even Ted Cruz expressed his skepticism. If Trump were to actually declare the national emergency, Congress could override it by enacting a resolution under the National Emergencies Act of 1976. Since Trump announced the plan, Mexico has negotiated with the United States to avoid the tariff, agreeing to actively work to decrease illegal immigration between Mexico and the United States. Mexico has stated that they will increase the amount of military personnel on the border, increase arrests of migrants, and turn away a majority of people seeking asylum from various countries in the region.

So why is this important? These new policies on immigration make an already violent and difficult system even more dangerous, as many prospective migrants will either be arrested or turned away. Additionally, turning away asylum seekers, people who are seeking protection in the United States, leaves many in inhumane and dangerous situations.

Call your representatives and demand that they make current immigration policies a priority.

Also ask that they support a resolution to overturn a national emergency, if Trump decides to declare one!

Check out or donate to Refugees International, an organization that works on policy to aid refugees worldwide and travels across the world to meet people in crisis and determine what kind of government support they require.​

LGBTQI+ Rights: Equality Act (H.R. 5)The Equality Act, or H.R. 5, is an act that would prohibit discrimination based on “sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity” in public housing, education, federal funding, juries, banking, and jobs. State restrictions aside, it is currently federally legal to discriminate against LGBTQI+ people for their sexuality or gender identity in all of those areas—yes, that means it’s legal to fire someone for being LGBTQI+. The bill also expands the places where this discrimination would be outlawed to include recreational environments, transportation, and more. It also “prohibits an individual from being denied access to a shared facility, including a restroom, a locker room, and a dressing room, that is in accordance with the individual’s gender identity.” It would be a landmark bill for LGBTQI+ rights, and here’s the best part: it has already passed the House! That means that for it to become a law, all it needs to do is pass the Senate.

So: call your representatives!! This act is vital and fundamental; it’s 2019, and it should already exist, but it doesn’t. So here’s a perfect opportunity to use our basic script template to practice creating your own :)))

Hi, my name is ______, I’m from _____, and I'm calling to ask you to [ vote; speak out; protect; support; continue to _] on/about/for [ your topic/law] . I believe that this is [important; vital; the only way to _] because [your reason!]. I urge you to use your conscience in making your decisions on this topic. Thank you. ​

Teen Resisters-- we've been wanting to do this list for a while, and in the midst of the crazy news coming out of places like Alabama and Ohio, this seemed as good a time as any. We hope this list is informative, clarifying, and helpful. It was written by Stephanie Ulloa, Tali Natter, Kate Griem, and Sonia Chajet Wides.

Reproductive Rights Glossary:

Here are some key terms you might hear mentioned a lot, and what they mean: ​​

Birth Control: devices or medications used so that couples with sperm and eggs can have sex without the risk of a pregnancy occurring.

Combined Hormone Contraceptives: birth control methods - the pill, the patch, the ring - that contain the hormones estrogen and progestin

Penile Condom: A single-use sheath of thin rubber, plastic, or animal tissue that is worn on the penis during sexual intercourse. It is an over-the-counter, reversible barrier method of birth control that prevents pregnancy as well as reduces the risk of getting the most serious sexually transmitted infections

Vaginal Condom: A single-use sheath of thin rubber, plastic, or animal tissue that is worn inside the vagina, close to the cervix, during sexual intercourse. It is an over-the-counter, reversible barrier method of birth control that prevents pregnancy as well as reduces the risk of getting the most serious sexually transmitted infections

Contraceptive: Any behavior, device, medication, or procedure used to prevent pregnancy

Hormonal Contraceptives: Prescription methods of birth control that use hormones to prevent pregnancy. These include the implant, the IUS, IUD, the patch, the pill, the ring, and the injection

PrEP: A medication that can be taken preemptively to protect the body from developing an HIV infection after an exchange of fluids with someone who has HIV.

Egg: The reproductive cell in the female reproductive system; the largest cell in the human body.

Ovaries: The two organs that store eggs in a body. Ovaries also produce hormones, including estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone

Family Planning: Voluntary planning and action by individuals to have the number of children they want, when they want them

Pregnancy: A condition in which a person carries a developing offspring in their uterus. It begins with the implantation of the pre-embryo and progresses through the embryonic and fetal stages until the birth of a child, unless it is ended by miscarriage or abortion. It lasts about nine months from implantation to birth.

Conception: the technical uniting of a sperm and egg.

Abortion:the deliberate termination of a human pregnancy, most often performed during the first 28 weeks of pregnancy. It can be safely performed through a surgical procedure or through medication.

Back-Street Abortion: Abortion performed illegally and secretly, likely in unhygienic circumstances and without anesthetic.

Fetus: In humans, this is the unborn young from the end of the eighth week after conception to the moment of birth as distinguished from the earlier embryo.

Trimester: Period of three months in a pregnancy. There are 3 trimesters in a full-term pregnancy.

Parasite: An organism that lives in or on its host, feeds off of the host, and does nothing to contribute to the survival of the host.

Uterus: A hollow organ in female mammals that houses the developing fetus during pregnancy.

Maternal Mortality: Death of a person due to pregnancy or birth-related complications

Miscarriage: Natural ending of a pregnancy carried out by the body.

Viability: The point at which a fetus could naturally survive outside of the parent's body

A History of Repro Rights in the US:

The fight for reproductive rights has been a key part of the Women’s Liberation Movement for a long, long time. Inequalities throughout history are largely driven by the same stereotypes and double standards that permeate our society today—from the beginning of human society, men have been rewarded for being sexually active, while women are often shamed and degraded. That historical misogyny affects anyone with a uterus, whether they be women or not-- some trans men, non-binary people, and intersex people can get pregnant (and get abortions) too. Those consequences for people with uteri exist not just in terms of perceptions but also in terms of tangible outcomes: people with uteri, not people without, are the ones who get pregnant, and so they are often responsible for providing birth control. Strangely, in law, it works the other way: people without uteri are often responsible for regulating birth control and abortion. And as the pregnancy progresses, it is physically much easier for the other partner to walk away than the pregnant person. Reproductive rights is an issue that disproportionately affects poor people, because pregnancy and parenthood, as well as abortions and birth control, can be expensive and hard to access.

Abortion in the U.S.: A Brief HistoryAccording to the National Abortion Federation, abortion has been performed for thousands of years in every society that we have studied. In the U.S. specifically, abortion didn’t start as a moral, religious, or ethical issue. Before the mid-to-late 1800s, when states began passing laws that made it illegal, it was simply a part of life. Drugs to induce abortion were common and public; if those didn’t work, people could visit practitioners for instrumental procedures.

Abortion began to be politicized around 1860-1880 for a number of reasons. One was a widespread fear that the population would come to be dominated by the children of newly arriving immigrants, whose birth rates were higher than those of “native” Anglo-Saxon women (xenophobia, loud and clear!). Interestingly, this argument has switched to an equally disturbing side now: banning abortion is serviceable to systems that benefit from people being trapped in cycles of poverty and the population of the for-profit prison system. The other key reason was that the medical establishment wanted to eliminate their competition: the midwives, apothecaries, and homeopaths who often performed at-home abortions (and who took away patients and patient fees). The most effective way they saw of doing this was to make the procedure illegal, except in cases where the doctor determined that the woman’s life was threatened. This criminalization of abortion did not in any way diminish the number of people who sought it—although exact figures are unclear, the yearly number of illegal abortions in the years leading up to Roe v. Wade was over a million, and thousands of women died as a result of unsafe procedures.

In 1973, Roe v. Wade established a woman’s fundamental right to choose whether or not to have an abortion; the Supreme Court ruled 7-2 that the Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment establishes a “right to privacy” that protects a person’s right to abortion. Since then, restrictions on abortion have only increased. The first came soon after the Roe v. Wade decision. In 1976, the Hyde Amendment, named for its main sponsor Representative Henry Hyde, barred the use of federal funds to pay for abortion except when the pregnancy threatened the pregnant person’s life or if the pregnancy came from incest or rape. The Hyde Amendment has been instrumental in the justification of cutting funding for Planned Parenthood, which provides abortions among many other vital procedures like cancer screenings and pap smears. The exceptions for rape and incest are a difficult road to go down too-- we don’t have to remind you that the process of reporting a rape can be traumatic and lengthy, and it seems cruel to make people prove they were raped in order to get an abortion they might need (read more about this in this op-ed- TW: sexual assault). In 2017, Paul Ryan tried to push a bill that would make the Hyde Amendment permanent, but it didn’t pass the Senate.In 1992, Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey weakened constitutional protection of abortion, establishing that state regulations are constitutional so long as they do not place a “substantial obstacle in the path of a woman seeking an abortion of a nonviable fetus.” In 2007, in Gonzales v. Carhart, the Supreme Court upheld President George W. Bush’s Federal Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act, the first federal law banning the “dilation and extraction” procedure, emboldening other states to pass more restrictive abortion laws as well. One other key case to be aware of is Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt: in 2016, in a victory for abortion rights activists the Supreme Court struck down a Texas law designed to shut down most of the state’s abortion clinics with medically unnecessary restrictions.

Understanding a little bit about the legal history of the fight for abortion rights in the United States is key to understanding what the new Georgia and Alabama laws are trying to do right now. We only scratched the surface, so if you want to learn more about the legal history of abortion in the U.S., check out this article and this one. Also check out this article from NBC News for an important and less-told story.

Birth Control: A Brief HistoryThe fight for universally accessible contraception originated during the Progressive Era, during the early 1900s specifically. Margaret Sanger,** a sex educator, writer, and nurse who coined the term “birth control,” fought for it for decades; her belief was that the ability to control family size was crucial to ending the cycle of women’s poverty. At the time, it was illegal to distribute birth control information, but she created her own publication (The Woman Rebel) to advocate for it nonetheless. She also opened the first birth control clinic in the United States (in Brownsville, Brooklyn), created the American Birth Control League (the organization that has evolved into what is Planned Parenthood today), and lobbied the government tirelessly until it became legal for doctors to prescribe birth control in 1936. In 1960, 6 years before her death, the birth control pill was invented, finally starting to separate sexuality from childbearing for a large number of women (and their partners). In 1965, Supreme Court case Griswold v. Connecticut established that laws prohibiting the sale of contraceptives violated the right to privacy and were therefore unconstitutional. This ban of prohibitive laws was extended to unmarried couples in Eisenstadt v. Baird in 1972, and a federal judge gave unmarried minors the right to purchase contraceptives in 1974 (yay safe teen sex!).

Under the Affordable Care Act, many health insurance plans cover birth control. But, as we’re sure you can all guess, the Trump administration has attacked women’s access to birth control time and time again, way too many for us to talk about here (if you want to learn more about it, check out timelines of the attacks created by the National Women’s Law Center here and by Planned Parenthood here).

**Setting aside the fact that she was a vital figure in the repro rights movement, it’s also important to recognize how problematic of a person she was. She was involved in the eugenics movement, which advocated for a process of selective breeding to weed out “undesirable” populations, including the mentally and physically disabled. Read more about it here.**

So What's Happening Right Now?

This recent Alabama law is the most severe, yet six other Republican-led states have passed the “heartbeat bill:” Georgia, Mississippi, Kentucky, Iowa, and North Dakota. (Missouri?)

Heartbeat bills refer to a ban on abortions once a heartbeat can be detected at six weeks. Currently, the legal threshold for abortions is when the fetus is viable outside the womb, around 24 weeks. The heartbeat bills prohibit nearly all abortions because six weeks is often not enough time to confirm you are actually pregnant, decide what to do, find the funds, and set up an appointment to have the procedure done. Some women do not even know they are pregnant at six weeks (it’s just two weeks late for your period, as AOC pointed out). The bills are extremely restrictive and often don’t include exceptions for rape and incest, which, as we discussed earlier, aren’t even always that helpful anyway.

More than 60 bills like this have been introduced across the country in states such as Louisiana, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee, Maryland, Minnesota, Texas, and West Virginia. Even in states considered safe havens for abortion rights, such as New York, anti-abortion lawmakers have introduced bills as a kind of protest, though they have not gotten far.

These laws have not yet been enacted and abortion after six weeks is still legal. They have either not taken effect yet or have been blocked by a judge. Still, abortion providers are taking the threat seriously and are planning to use their funding to shuttle women across state lines to obtain abortions. These laws across the country are part of a larger effort to eventually overturn Roe V. Wade at the level of the Supreme Court.

These restrictions are clearly unconstitutional and are used to pressure the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade or severely restrict how it is interpreted. Civil rights groups such as the ACLU are now tasked with the challenge to argue these laws in court to stop their implementation before they reach the highest court. And it's worth noting that the majority of Americans remain pro-choice and the majority of Americans oppose the Alabama laws.

But for now, unless and until the supreme court speaks on one of these cases, abortion remains legal to the point a fetus can survive outside the womb in the US, 24 weeks. Even if states do not succeed in making abortion illegal, the pile-on of restrictions has already made its impact. There are fewer abortion providers with less funding, and thus the procedure is becoming more expensive and harder to find, making it ever more difficult for pregnant people to exercise their rights.

Specific states:Alabama: Set to take effect six months after becoming law, sued by ACLU and PPGeorgia: Set to take effect January 2020, but sued by the ACLU and the Center for Reproductive RightsOhio: Set to take effect July 2019, but sued by the ACLUMississippi: Set to take effect July 2019, but sued by the Center for Reproductive RightsKentucky: Temporarily blocked by Judge David J. Hale after challenged in court by ACLUIowa: Blocked permanently by Judge Michael HuppertNorth Dakota: Blocked permanently when the Supreme Court refused to review the ruling of a lower courtMissouri: Signed by Governor

What You Can Do:

Specific to right now (May 2019):- Keep your eye out for marches and demonstrations. This summer will probably be chock-full of those opportunities!- Sign this ACLU petition. Head to aclu.org/action for lots of action tips customized to how much time you have available.- If you have the means, donate to the ACLU, Planned Parenthood, and the Yellowhammer Fund in Alabama right now- they're all doing imperative work to block these bans.- Check this NY Times graphic to see if your state has had an abortion ban or fetal heartbeat bill proposed. If it does, head here to find your state legislators and call them with this script:Hi, my name is ____and I live in ______. I'm calling to demand that you do everything you can to block abortion bans and fetal heartbeat bills proposed in our state. These bans and bills are unconstitutional, invasive, and cruel. (If you have a personal story, insert here.) Please keep in mind the millions of women and others who will be affected by these bans. Thank you for your time.- It's all about the courts-- stay updated on SCOTUS news.

Repro Rights Constants:

Planned Parenthood is the nation's largest reproductive health organization. They're an incredible resource for reproductive info, birth control, STI protection, cancer screenings, pap smears, pregnancy care, and abortion. They also have an action arm, PP Act, that does great advocacy. If you have the means, they're always great to donate to and support in other ways.

The ACLU combats unconstitutional abortion laws in the courts. Use their Action page or donate if you can.

This is yet another reason we need to be electing pro-choice candidates. Support EMILY's List, an organization that works to elect Democratic, pro-choice women.

Check out ways to fight abstinence-only sex ed in schools across the country with this Planned Parenthood link.

Hey Teen Resisters:This has, again, been a super heavy few weeks. Hopefully taking action will be a good way to help express your emotions, but remember it's okay to take time to process them as well!Before you dive in, here's a quick piece of better news: House Democrats will vote on the biggest health care bill of the year--which will lower drug prices and shore up Obamacare--next week. Since parts of the bill are bipartisan, it (cleverly) forces Republican legislators to choose between their constituents' priorities regarding prescription drug prices and their own partisan opposition to Obamacare.Happy reading/action-taking!xxTR

what went down

Abortion Laws in Georgia and AlabamaThis week, Georgia’s governor signed a “heartbeat bill” into law, which would ban any abortions from taking place after a doctor is able to detect “a fetal heartbeat in the womb,” at roughly 6 weeks — before most women even know that they are pregnant. Other states, including Mississippi and Ohio, have also recently passed similar heartbeat bills, which will soon become enforceable under the law. Georgia’s bill explicitly states that doctors would be punished for performing unlawful abortions, and is more vague about the penalties for women who receive them. It also includes that women who have miscarriages could be pulled into investigations determining whether or not they received an illegal abortion. Women who try to receive out-of-state abortions could also be punished under Georgia law.

In the same week, Alabama proposed an even more severe bill, which has yet to be signed into law (the vote was postponed until next week after a shouting match broke out on the Senate floor, when some Republicans attempted to propose a version of the bill that did not include exemptions in cases of rape and incest). The proposed bill would prevent doctors from performing abortions once a fetus is “in utero.” Translated: the proposed bill is, essentially, an all-out ban on abortion. As written and argued, the bill would not criminalize women for receiving abortions, and rather would punish doctors who perform them with up to 99 years in prison. The same Alabama bill would also make false rape allegations a felony, punishable with up to 10 years in prison. Although false rape allegations are wrong, many individuals’ allegations are considered false without actual evidence — this bill could lead to the abuse of these cases.

​So why does this all matter, in the grand scheme of things? Roe v. Wade set a precedent for a woman’s right to choose, and the Alabama bill clearly infringes upon that right (a variety of organizations, including the A.C.L.U., have said that they will challenge the bill in court if it gets passed). That, in fact, is the point of the bill. These lawmakers know that this law is unconstitutional and know that it will most likely get overturned in a lower court when it is challenged. However, they hope that by continuing to appeal the case, they can eventually bring it to the Supreme Court, where they are hoping that the justices will uphold the law, reversing Roe v. Wade. For them, that outcome is the ultimate end goal.

What can you do?

Be careful about the facts of this issue. Following the emergence of the bills in the news this week, a variety of false information was spread through social media, misrepresenting the Georgia/Alabama bills and their implications. Make sure that the facts you read and share online are backed by reliable news outlets and sources!

Donate to and support the ACLU, which has pledged to counteract the Georgia and Alabama bills in any way possible before they become enforceable under the law.

Call representatives in Alabama and ask them to vote no on the bill when the Senate re-convenes to vote on it next week. Use the script below:

Hi! My name is _____ and I’m calling to demand that [representative’s name] oppose Alabama’s anti-abortion bill that would effectively ban abortion and overturn Roe v. Wade on a state basis. [INSERT PERSONAL STORY- especially effective for highly socially conservative Alabama legislators.] Bills like this one deny women any and all reproductive agency over their bodies, and are destructive to the basic rights guaranteed by the U.S. constitution. Please vote no on this bill, and oppose it in any way you can. Thank you.

Call representatives in Florida and South Carolina, where similar heartbeat bills are under consideration, to demand that they vote against the heartbeat bills when they hit the state Senate floor. Use the script below:

Hi! My name is _____ and I’m calling to demand that [representative’s name] oppose a “heartbeat bill” that would deny pregnant women abortions any point after 6 weeks — before most women even know they are pregnant. Bills like this one deny women any reproductive agency over their bodies, and are destructive to the basic rights guaranteed by the U.S. constitution. Please oppose the “heartbeat bill” in any way you can. Thank you.

In every way you can, support Planned Parenthood!

Shootings This WeekOver the last two weeks, the US experienced three school shootings: one in at Savannah State University, in Georgia, one at the University of South Carolina, and one in Colorado. One student was injured in the Savannah shooting, which is the most recent, on April 7th. That same day, one student (pictured to the right) was killed and eight more were injured by two gunmen, suspected to be fellow students, who attacked an English class at STEM School Highlands Ranch, in Colorado. At the University of South Carolina, a gunman killed two students and injured four others on April 30th.

​The violence didn’t stop on campus this week. On Sunday, a Sikh family of four were murdered in their home in Ohio while preparing dinner. The killer has not been caught and we don’t know why the family was killed, although it is possible that it was a hate crime.

It’s a lot, for just two weeks. It’s too much, for a week or a month or a year. With such a volume of bad news it is easy - no, hard not to - become desentized to this violence. You may have noticed circulating on social media tributes to two young men who sacrificed their lives to stop the massacres at USC and Highlands Ranch - Riley Howell and Kendrick Castillo. They deserve every bit of that recognition and praise. But we don’t want to live in a time when we treat shootings as inevitable - and take the small miracles and instances of heroism within a constant cycle. We have to change that cycle. ​

At the same time, though: all of this is hard to hear and hard to handle. When we say we can’t become numb, we don’t mean you should dive into news cycles like this week’s without the resources to take care of yourself. Give yourself time and space to process, reach out to people, indulge in our weekly puppy videos. And then - let’s channel our anger; let’s all take action to change what’s going on out there. That means…

What you can do?CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVES. Demand that they make common-sense gun control legislation a priority. Make it clear that this is a matter of life and death, very literally, and that you are beyond tired of these cycles of hatred, fear, and violence. Some concrete reforms that you can demand:

Universal background checks. The House passed a bill in February that would have guaranteed universal background checks and lengthened the wait time before buying a gun, but it didn’t pass the Senate; this is one for the Senators, then.

A ban on assault rifles.

A ban on high-capacity magazines.

The passage of red-flag laws.

If you have the means, donate to gun-control organizations like Everytown/Moms Demand Action. See our Index by Issue for a more comprehensive list of organizations that could use your funds. ​

Migrant Boy Dies in U.S. CustodyOn April 30th, an unaccompanied 16-year-old migrant boy died in U.S. Custody after days of intensive care at a children's hospital in Texas. The unnamed boy was transferred from ICE custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement, part of the Dept. of HHS that houses migrant children, on April 20th. The cause of death is currently being investigated.

This comes after the deaths of 8-year-old Felipe Alonso Gomez and 7-year-old Jakelin Caal in U.S. Border Patrol custody in December, as well as a stillbirth in ICE custody in February. There very much is a still an unprecedented humanitarian crisis going on at the border, and our representatives need to make addressing it a priority.

What can you do?

Read this article by the Washington Office on Latin America, a leading research and advocacy organization on advancing human rights in the Americas, about how we should move to fix the crisis at the border. It has info, short-term and long-term solutions, and plenty of material for creating a script for legislators!

On that note...CALL YOUR LEGISLATORS, and demand that they move addressing the situation at the border and holding all of those involved accountable up their list of priorities.

Check out this list of organizations working to address the crisis, along with opportunities to support and involve yourself in them.

Support immigrant communities in every way you can, whether that means volunteering at a free legal aid clinic or spreading info about what to do upon an encounter with ICE.

Comprehensive Timeline on the Mueller ReportAttorney General William Barr has come under fire in recent weeks surrounding his handling of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report (The Mueller Report) on his investigation, and the crazy amount of things that have happened can get confusing.

So, here’s a timeline of key events:On March 22, Barr received the 448-page report of Mueller’s findings. ​​Two days later, Barr sent a 4-page letter to Congress outlining the report. Barr stated that Mueller had found the Trump campaign not guilty of colluding with Russia and had had left it to Barr’s discretion to decide whether or not Trump was guilty of obstruction of justice (according to Barr, the answer was no).

On March 27th, Mueller wrote a letter to Barr expressing concern for the way his report had been construed: he felt his findings had been misrepresented, and that the American public would do better to have read the summaries his own team had prepared. He wrote that Barr’s summary letter “did not fully capture the context, nature, and substance” of the probe.​

On April 18th, following demands by activists and Democrats in Congress that the full report be released, Barr released a redacted version of the full report to the public.

On April 19th, House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler issued a subpoena to the Department of Justice demanding an unredacted version of the report, in addition to the underlying grand jury evidence and testimony, with a deadline of May 1st.

On May 1st, Barr testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Many felt that his testimony showed his allegiance to Trump and not to the country. Senate Democrats grilled Barr with questions which exposed what many believed to be hypocrisy and foul play—he seemed to be protecting Trump, not the integrity of America.

On May 8th, in response to a pending vote in the House Judiciary Committee to hold Barr in contempt over his refusal to respond to Nadler’s subpoena, Trump invoked executive privilege over the entirety of the report.

Later that day, the Committee voted to hold Barr in contempt of Congress (concretely, it didn’t do much, but it escalated tensions even further and exemplified Democrats’ intense frustration).​​Most important takeaway: both sides are angry, and neither one is backing down—Nadler and House Speaker Pelosi have declared a “constitutional crisis” and impeachment buzz is on the rise, while Barr struck back just today, appointing a prosecutor to examine the origins of the Russia probe.

Hello, Teen Resisters! There has been a lot going on. Let's all take a deep breath and try to cover it all.It's unfortunately been a week plagued with violence and hatred. We're taking a moment to remember the 253 people who were killed in Sri Lanka in the terrorist attacks on Easter Sunday. The attacks were carried out in churches and hotels across the country. Hate-based terrorism is a gut-punch to everything we believe in, and we wanted to acknowledge the attacks before launching into our more US-based coverage.

What Went Down:

The Release of the Mueller Report: On Thursday April 18th, the Justice Department released a redacted version of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s 2 year, 400-page long report investigating possible Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, as well as the Trump campaign's involvement in such interference and obstruction of justice in relation to the Special Counsel's investigation. Three weeks prior, Attorney General William Barr released a 4 page summary stating that “the report identifies no actions that, in our judgment, constitute obstructive conduct.” But as many predicted, Mueller’s findings on obstruction of justice are more nuanced than Barr said. In the end, Mueller did not reach a conclusion on whether or not criminal acts. He writes that Trump’s behavior “presents difficult issues that prevent us from conclusively determining that no criminal conduct occurred.” Of these “difficult issues” investigated in the report are Trump's repeated attempts to commit possible obstruction of justice but failing to do so because the people in office around him would not carry out the orders. The report concluded that the Trump campaign did not collude with Russia during the election, but stops short of exonerating the administration completely because of Trump's disdain for the investigation ["When he learned of Mr. Mueller’s appointment, he slumped in his chair and said, 'Oh my God. This is terrible. This is the end of my presidency. I’m fucked.'" (NY Times)]. Although Mueller found no concrete evidence of the Trump campaign participating in coordination with the Russian government, the report reveals many instances where suspicious actions occurred and valid reasons to investigate. Since the report has come out, people have been taking it in different ways. We at Teens Resist are glad to hear that the campaign did not (by Mueller's account) collude with Russia during the elections. We are also deeply concerned by the behavior displayed by the administration over the course of this investigation, and regardless of their actions' criminality, we find the corruption and shadiness displayed to be disgraceful. The best thing to do now? Stay informed.

Actions and further reading:

If you’re interested, you can read the full report here. For a slightly shorter read, the New York Times compiled a list of key annotated excerpts here. For an even shorter overview, here’s a list of seven key points from the report.

Stay tuned for the 14 spinoff cases that Mueller mentioned in his report.

More reactions and responses to the report are constantly coming out. You can read more about a recent development here.

The Burning of Black Churches in Louisiana: Three historically Black churches have burned less than two weeks apart in late March/early April in the St. Landry Parish of Louisiana. The three churches in the heart of Cajun and Creole country have been spiritual homes for generations of Black families that have existed for more than a century. The churches were fortunately empty when the fires occurred. A suspect was charged and arrested for hate crimes and arson but pleaded not guilty despite cellphone records and photographic evidence. New developments have suggested that he has ties to neo-Nazi groups.Historically, Southern Black churches have been the targets of numerous racist attacks of arson, bombing and armed assault. In 2006, there was a string of arson at various Alabama churches. In 2015 in South Carolina, a white nationalist shot and killed nine people at a Bible study.

Speak out against the deep-seeded hatreds that have been so dangerously and violently rising. The Trump admin is certainly not helping defeat the scourge of hatred, and has done nothing concrete to stop it. We'll update you as soon as there is something to push for. Notably, a few weeks ago, there was a hearing on the rise of white nationalism that quickly dissolved into partisan agument. Learn about it here.

Antisemitic Shooting in California: On Saturday, April 27th, a young white nationalist terrorist entered the Shabbat morning services of a synagogue in Poway, California and fired shots, killing one woman, Lori Kaye, and leaving three people wounded. The shooter had previously published an antisemitic manifesto echoing classic anti-Semitic white nationalist ideology. The service being held was for the last day of Passover, one of the most important holidays in a Jewish year. In a disturbing twist, the attack took place exactly six months after eleven Jews were murdered in Pittsburgh during Shabbat. The Rabbi continued his sermon and called for unity and peace even after being shot. The attack follows a dangerous pattern of rising antisemitism.

What You Can Do:

Many who have studied antisemitism and its history are not surprised that it is rising in this moment. Throughout history, in moments of social and political turmoil, Jews have come under attack. It's important to understand how antisemitism functions, especially within the context of modern white nationalism, in order to defeat it and ensure it takes no more lives than it already has.Here are some must-reads for understanding antisemitism:- Eric Ward's "Skin in the Game: How Antisemitism Animates White Nationalism" is an absolutely mandatory read for anyone looking to understand the threat of the white nationalist movement.- Yotam Marom's "Toward the Next Jewish Rebellion" is an article that discusses the role of Jews and antisemitism in our own movements. While it is an opinion piece, and we don't take position on everything he writes about, it is a valuable tool for understanding antisemitism.

As we know, the rampancy of hateful gun violence in this country is proof that guns weaponize deep hatred. We must disarm hate. Go to our Index by Issues page to see all our coverage of gun reform.

Fires at Notre Dame and Al-Aqsa Mosque: Last week, two historic and significant monuments, the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris and the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, were ravaged by fires that damaged relatively consequential portions of both landmarks. While the causes of both fires are still under speculation, authorities believe that each case involved negligence from the staff posted in the sites. The main cause of the blaze in Notre Dame is believed to be an electrical short circuit in tandem with the cathedral's lack of fire-prevention provisions, while officials believe the Al-Aqsa fire was caused by children tampering in the area. While Notre Dame suffered extensive damage to its central spire and roof, the structure itself was saved by the consistent efforts of French firefighters to maintain the Medieval staple. Al-Aqsa was thankfully left largely untouched with the flames only really effecting a guard booth. Both of these buildings hold enormous historical significance, with Al-Aqsa being the third holiest site in Islam and Notre Dame being a structure erected more than 800 years ago that has survived two world wars and the French Revolution.What You Can Do:-Spread awareness!! While the Notre Dame fire has been chronicled by many sources of mainstream media, what happened at Al-Aqsa has gotten less coverage in the international community. -Donate to https://www.notredamedeparis.fr/friends/donate/ (Notre Dame) and https://muslimhands.org.uk/appeals/masjid-al-aqsa (Al-Aqsa)​

All right, everyone. This has been a heavy, heavy list. It's not the best news and we know the action items have been more help-oriented than advocacy. Just know we're here with you and sending you love and support. xoxo.

Hey Teen Resisters!We hope that you've all had the chance to bask in the first few weeks of spring! Here are a few quick things you should be aware of before diving in:- The Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota--one of the nation's poorest areas--has recently been the victim of heavy snow and severe, debilitating flooding. Read more about the situation here.- Update on the Mueller report: Attorney General William Barr has promised to release the redacted version of the report to the public, and said in today in testimony before Congress that he hoped to release it next week. He also said that he would investigate spying on the Trump campaign. - Kirstjen Nielsen submitted her resignation as Dept. of Homeland Security Secretary on April 7th. CALL YOUR SENATOR now and tell them that the next DHS Secretary must end family separation and indefinite detention.xxTR

what went down

El Paso Bridge/Letter CampaignIn late March, news broke that hundreds of migrant families seeking asylum in the United States were being held in what was effectively a holding pen under a bridge in El Paso. Families were held for up to four days in the enclosure, where they reported verbal and physical abuse to top off what was already a grossly inhumane environment for the migrants—children forced to sleep outside on gravel, families spending the night in outdoors in the cold. The ACLU called the situation an “unprecedented and extreme violation,” but it is certainly not the first time that Customs and Border Protection has demonstrated a complete lack of regard for the well-being of migrants in its custody. This is just the latest—nonetheless completely sickening—example of how CBP (and ICE, for that matter) have violated the rights of asylum seekers.

While CBP cited an overwhelming number of migrants as cause for having to place certain asylum seekers under the El Paso Bridge, the agency already has greatly expanded funding and personnel; it’s clear that more money is the last thing the agency ought to get. ​El Paso is far from the only location that migrant families and children are being held. More than 1,700 migrants from the ages of 13-17 are being held at the Homestead Detention Center, in Homestead, Florida. These are children our age. Most have escaped poverty and violence in their places of birth and are now being put through yet another long ordeal at the hands of our government.

What can you do?

Indivisible has a more comprehensive resource on defunding CBP and ICE—how it works, why it’s important, and how you can take action. Check it out here. The gist of it, of course, is to call your representatives and demand that they work to defund the agencies!

Don’t Separate Families of Brooklyn is running a campaign right now to send 2,000 letters, postcards, and drawings of support and welcome to these teens. Please take some time to write one yourself. You can write the letters in English or Spanish.

Communicate to the migrants that you support them, you care for them, and we’re all fighting for them. And pass on this information, as always, to your friends and anyone who might encourage teens in their life to write or draw a similar message.

This campaign is designed to spread awareness of this issue, but it’s most chiefly about speaking directly to the people affected by our government’s abuses to provide each of them some measure of the individual support and care they have been denied. We spend a lot of time advocating for changes to structures and institutions that hurt all kinds of people, which is critically important work and the only way we can stop these kinds of violations from continuing. But it’s good, too, to take a moment to focus on just one person who’s affected by one of these issues, to think about them and to speak to them. That’s what this campaign is striving for and what we hope for you to participate in.

The address:Don’t Separate Familiesc/o Margaret Seiler248 12th St. Brooklyn, NY 11215​Letters have to arrive at this address by April 19th, so act fast!

Abortion Laws in GeorgiaLast week in Georgia, new legislation concerning abortion rights was passed by Georgia state legislators. This new bill prohibits abortion as soon as a fetal heartbeat is observed. This would mean that abortion would be banned as early as six weeks into a pregnancy—a time when it’s often too early for many women to even realize that they are pregnant. This new legislation would overturn Georgia’s current laws, which allow a woman to have an abortion up to twenty weeks into her pregnancy. If passed, this new bill would make Georgia one of the most restrictive states in the country in terms of abortion. Similar anti-abortion bills have been signed in Mississippi and Kentucky, and legislation concerning fetal heartbeat is expected to pass in states such as Florida, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, and Texas.

The bill received a great deal of opposition while in the process of being voted on, including some from members of the Hollywood film industry who say that they will refuse to work on sets in Georgia if the legislation is passed. It has also experienced pushback due to the current obstetrician shortage in Georgia, which would most likely worsen as a result of this legislation. Additional criticisms include that the bill would endanger women’s health specifically because of an increase in dangerous at-home abortions. This bill is particularly frightening, for it represents a larger anti-abortion, pro-life movement that could eventually lead to Roe v. Wade’s being overturned. This case, which established a woman’s right to choose on a federal level, could be reversed, especially with new justices such as Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh backing pro-life legislation.

So what is going to happen with this bill? This bill was approved by state legislators, meaning that it will now pass on to Republican governor Brian Kemp. Kemp must sign the bill in the following months in order to enact it, and he is expected to do so, based on his continual support for anti-abortion legislation and this bill in particular.

What you can do:Here are some articles for a more in-depth look at the topic:

​Call your reps w/ this script: Hi, my name is __________, and I live in ___________. I'm calling to ask my Senator to vote NO on any attempt to defund Planned Parenthood. This is nothing more than a blatantly political attempt to do whatever it takes to attack women's health and rights and take health care away from the people who need it most. If Congress cuts funding to Planned Parenthood, millions of people will be left without access to birth control, lifesaving cancer screenings, and other basic care. Many of them will have nowhere else to go for the health care they need. I'm counting on my Senator to do the right thing and stand up for the Planned Parenthood patients in our community and across the country who are counting on those health centers. I stand with Planned Parenthood because [insert your own story or message, if you like]. I expect my Senator to vote against any attacks on Planned Parenthood and the vital health services they provide. Thank you for your time. (adapted from Planned Parenthood)

Anti-LBGTQ+ Stoning Laws in BruneiOn Wednesday, the small yet oil-rich nation of Brunei implemented legislation punishing extramarital sex and anal sex with death by stoning. Under the new law, rape and defamation of the Prophet Mohammed will also be punishable by death, and theft will be punishable by amputation. In what is a clear violation of human rights, numerous celebrities, officials, and human rights groups have come out in opposition to the hateful and harmful piece of legislation. Read more about the law & its implications here. ​

What can you do to help improve the safety of LGBTQ+ Brunei citizens?

Join celebrities such as George Clooney, Ellen DeGeneres, and Elton John in boycotting the Sultan of Brunei’s nine luxury international hotels (The Dorchester, The Beverly Hills Hotel, Plaza Athénée, Hotel Meurice, Principe di Savoia, Hotel Bel-Air, Coworth Park, 45 Park Lane, Hotel Eden). Supporting and participating in this boycott will help strengthen the international pressure currently put on Brunei to reconsider this reprehensible piece of legislation.

Keep your eyes out for protests in your area! Contact your local LGBTQ community organizers and activists or local LGBTQ Center to see if there are any protests for action or solidarity taking place near you.

Check out the LGBTQ+ section in our Index by Issue to learn more and take action about what’s happening in the U.S. and in other countries, surrounding the fight for LGBTQ+ rights.

Hello Teen Resisters!We hope you've had a good week. There's lots to cover this week. A couple things that you should be aware of: - The results of the Mueller probe into Trump/Russia relations came in this week and the report was summarized in a 4-page letter by Trump's Attorney General, William Barr. Barr's summary reported that Mueller charged Trump with no crimes but also did not "exonerate" him from possible obstruction of justice. Trump has been shouting victory since, while Congress has demanded that the entire report be released to at least Congress, and ultimately the American public, by April 2nd.- News also came in today that the Trump admin is cutting funds to numerous programs, including that DeVos wants to defund Special Olympics programs and Trump is once again cutting aid to Puerto Rico. The news came in too late for us to cover it in this week's list, but we'll cover it next time. Also coming up: a full-length feature about understanding the White Nationalist movement and what it means. Sending you lots of light in these first wonderful weeks of Spring!​xx

What Went Down

Islamophobic Attack in New Zealand: This past week has been incredibly difficult for New Zealanders, and the rest of the world. Just over a week ago, a white nationalist gunman opened fire on two mosques, resulting in the death and injury of over 50 people. The shooter, a 28-year-old Australian, attacked two mosques on Friday, March 15th. This day is now dubbed “one of the darkest days in New Zealand’s history” by Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand’s Prime Minister. The Al Noor Mosque and Linwood Mosques, where the acts of terror took place, were just miles apart. This shooting took place on a Friday, which is considered a Muslim holy day, during morning prayer. The perpetrator was found to have posted a manifesto online of ramblings that spouted racist, white-nationalistic views; specifically against Muslims and immigrants. The manifesto refers to the likes of Dylann Roof (who targeted Black people attending worship in a predominantly Black church), and Anders Breivik, who attacked and killed a multitude of people at a summer camp just years ago. He cited President Trump and the American white nationalist movement as his inspiration. Besides just publishing his ramblings online, the shooter also live-streamed the attack on social media.The attacks, a result of Islamophobia and the rise of the white nationalist movement, claimed the lives of over 50 people and injured about just as many, including children. Many people worldwide are standing in solidarity with their Muslim neighbors, including teams of people who are volunteering to watch and stand guard while they worship and pray. And, just 3 days following the attack, Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand’s Prime Minister, announced that the government has agreed to reform the country’s gun laws. Ardern was quoted, saying the following: "Within 10 days of this horrific act of terrorism we will have announced reforms which will, I believe, make our community safer,"New Zealand’s gun laws, although considered more relaxed than other western countries (besides the US), will reportedly face rigorous reform. Currently, gun owners require a license but are not required to register their guns. It is also estimated that about 1.2 million people in New Zealand are in possession of a firearm, which is roughly one gun for every three people. It took three days, just 72 hours, for New Zealand officials to ban assault rifles and high-capacity magazines. Ardern also vowed not to use the shooter’s name, committed to fighting white nationalism and Nazism, and New Zealand gun owners have been turning in their guns. The US, in stark comparison, has not yet acted in the need for universal background checks, despite being called for, for over half a decade. And our president has refused to strongly condemn or fight against the rising violence of the white nationalist movement that began in the 1960s. This travesty has rocked the world and it is important to take action in its wake. What You Can Do:

Fight Islamophobia wherever you are. Dispel negative stereotypes about your Muslim siblings and fight back when people target Muslims simply for being Muslim.

Advocate for gun control legislation! We all know too well that although this happened across the world, the potential is ripe in the US. We must pass gun reform- we’ve already seen how white nationalist ideology is weaponized by guns in this country, in Pittsburgh, Charleston, etc. We highlight the Background Check Expansion Act in this list- go check it out!

Fight against white nationalism. One very important thing we can do is understand the white nationalist movement and how it differs from other forms of white supremacy. We must understand its roots and ideology in order to defeat it. And we must demand that our representatives in government fight against it, as it is a movement dangerously infiltrating our government and mainstream culture. For some good reading, start here and here and in general, read the work of Eric Ward.

New Zealand students perform a haka in memoriam of the lives lost. Photo via The Atlantic.

A mourner prays at a memorial site. Photo via The Atlantic.

A vigil with candles in New Zealand. Photo via The Atlantic.

Mourners across the street from one of the mosques that was attacked. Photo via The Atlantic.

Climate Walkout: Youth Climate StrikeOn Friday, March 15, students around the world walked out of school to protest the government’s lack of action on the imminent issue of climate change. Millions of people, including adults, took to the streets in order with a set of demands that included a reduction in Greenhouse gas emissions and that U.S. leaders implement the Green New Deal. Read the full platform here. Climate change is an increasingly dire issue, with a deadline fast approaching: in 2030, the effects of climate change will become irreversible. Effects include but are not limited to: a climate refugee crisis with a population of refugees equivalent to the population of North and South America combined, the depletion of natural resources, extinction of species including our own, and vastly different lifestyles. There may even be a new kind of war: some climate experts think that foreign governments will wage eventually wage war on countries that are not making energy adjustments and putting other countries in jeopardy. We need fighting climate change to be a priority for our government. We’ll keep updating you with legislation to support.Green New Deal- What is it?The Green New Deal (sometimes referred to as the New New Deal) is a proposed plan that aims to combat growing issues of Financial as well as Environmental Crisis/Climate change. It’s named after the Roosevelt-era New Deal that was implemented in the face of the Great Depression and radically changed US social and economic policies. The Green New Deal aims to do the same thing in the face of the climate crisis. The Green New Deal has been a point of controversy, throughout the country and within the Democratic Party. The initiative is headed by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the powerhouse freshman representative from New York. In general, the proposal aims to wean the US off of fossil fuels and convert to 100% renewable energy by 2030. It’s a big task, but we can do it, and thus, we should. As teens, we know all too well that we will bear the brunt of this crisis. We’re taking the time here to officially endorse the Green New Deal and its principles. We believe that this is a necessary action that comes in a time of emergency. The Green New Deal generally is supported by most people; the disagreement is just about what the action plan should look like.Need to know more? Watch AOC break it down in the House this week.More Understanding:https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/20/opinion/green-new-deal-carbon-taxes.html

Climate strike in Munich, Germany. Photo via New York Times.

Climate strike in Hyderabad, India. Photo via New York Times.

Background Check Expansion Act: In late February, the House of Representatives passed a bill that would require background checks for almost all private gun sales. Representatives voted 240-190 to extend the background checks requirement to sales made at gun shows or over the internet. If passed in the Senate, the law will become one of the most significant gun safety measures to go through Congress in decades - and a long-past-overdue national legislative response to the rampant gun violence in the U.S.’ schools and streets. While eight Republicans in the House voted to pass the bill - and popular opinion on universal background checks is positive across the board, at 97% - Republican Senators refuse to bring the bill to the floor for a vote. While passage of the bill, even if brought to the floor, is unlikely, floor votes are important - they set precedent for future debate and action, and they force our representatives to go on record for supporting or opposing an issue, allowing us to hold them accountable at the ballot box. We need to fight for a vote on this bill.

What You Can Do:

One of the ways we can pressure Mitch McConnell -- ultimately the one in charge of deciding whether the bill comes to the floor for a vote -- is by ensuring more cosponsors on the bill, both Democrat and Republican. Especially if you have Republican Senators - although not exclusively - call them, if not, reach out to friends and family members with Republican Senators to ask them to make the call. Check to see if your Senator cosponsors the bill here.

Script: Hello, my name is ____ and I’m a constituent of Senator ______’s. I’m calling to ask Senator _______ to cosponsor S. 42, the Universal Background Check bill. Gun violence claims the lives of 40,000 people every year, and it’s only getting worse; it’s long past time for Congress to pass substantive gun safety legislation. 97% of Americans support background checks. There is no excuse for opposing this measure. I urge Senator ______ to do their part in ensuring the bill comes to the floor for a vote by cosponsoring S. 42. Thank you.

If you can, support organizations advocating for gun safety measures like Everytown. ​

NYC School Segregation: Last week, as thousands of New York City 8th graders received letters regarding which high schools they were accepted into, the New York Times reported that only 7 Black students were accepted into Stuyvesant High School, an elite public school in Manhattan. This means that although Black and Hispanic students make up 67 percent of the NYC public school population, they only make up 10 percent of the specialized school population. NYC's public schools are the most segregated in the nation.Stuyvesant High School along with seven other specialized high schools require the SHSAT, an annual standardized test to be taken in the fall of students’ eighth-grade year, as the sole means of admission. This is not the first time the test and its biased results have come into question. In 2013, Mayor Bill De Blasio's campaign platform included scrapping the SHSAT, but it wasn’t until June of 2018 that he proposed an alternative to the test. His proposal consisted of two main parts: to expand the Discovery program, as well as to eventually replace the test with a program that offers seats in specialized high schools to the top seven percent of every middle school. The expansion of the Discovery program would aim to reserve 20% of seats in specialized schools to low-income students whose scores were just below the cutoff for admission. This proposal would need to pass in Albany and has already received pushback from many specialized high school alumni. This issue of systemic racial segregation in schools is far bigger than this test and the eight associated schools. So despite what many politicians would hope, it’s not an issue that can be solved with one bill or in a year. As representative Ocasio-Cortez pointed out during an education town hall a few weeks ago, “why isn’t every public school in New York City a Brooklyn Tech-caliber school?”

If this issue interests you, here are a few ways to get involved.

Support and get involved with organizations such as Integrate NYC; “a youth-led organization that stands for integration and equity in New York City schools”

Hey Teen Resisters!We are back on our cycle of lists after a quick break for our Black History Month List (which you should all go read!)--we know that the past few weeks have been beyond crazy, and so we tried to boil everything down to what we believe are some of the key happenings. Get ready to dive into a list full of youth protest, Trump trying to attack women's repro rights (again.), net neutrality, vaccines, and more!! (Also, happy late International Women's Day and current Women's History Month <33; more on that soon.) Sending all our love!peace&power,TR

what went (&is going) down

Worldwide Youth Climate Strikes This Friday!Over the last couple of years, scientists and environmental activists across the world have made it clear that human-caused climate change is escalating at a previously underestimated and entirely destructive rate; its effects will be irreversible in a matter of years. Most global leaders have refrained from fully (if at all) addressing the significance of climate change, causing not only climate inaction but also disproportionately harsh impacts on racially and socioeconomically marginalized communities. Read more of our coverage of climate change by going to our Index by Issue and scrolling down to our section entitled Environmental Justice (near the top; the index is alphabetized!), where you’ll find bullets of all the past lists where we’ve mentioned it; alternatively, you can learn more about it on the NASA website.

This Friday, March 15th, students across the world will be walking out of school and protesting climate change inaction in their local communities. Goals and logistics vary depending on the school/community, but most strikes advocate for the support of the Green New Deal in Congress, a bill pushed by Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (among others), which aims to stimulate the U.S. economy in an environmentally sustainable and socially equitable way—an emphasis is placed on communities of color and low income communities that are disproportionately affected by the impacts of climate change.

If your school doesn’t have a walkout yet, we encourage you to strike with some of your friends anyway, and empower/organize your school peers to do so, as well! Follow the US Youth Climate Strike’s Guide to organizing a strike in your school community at this link.

And if you can’t participate this Friday, there are still other ways to get involved! Go to this link to find a script and series of steps to follow to call your representatives and demand that they support the Green New Deal in their legislative house.

Domestic Gag RuleOn Monday, March 4th, Donald Trump and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar unveiled a new, newly outrageous policy known as the domestic gag rule. The rule would deny any clinic that provides abortion access any Title X federal funding, meaning that it would effectively defund Planned Parenthood and the numerous other smaller providers who work similarly.

Title X currently serves about 4 million individuals and functions as the nation’s program for affordable birth control and reproductive care. According to Planned Parenthood, two thirds of those served by Title X live under the federal poverty line, and almost half lack insurance access. Currently, reproductive health care clinics can receive Title X funding for services other than abortion (they just have to pay for abortion procedures with separate funding).

That means that those served by Title X rely on the government for access to birth control, cancer screenings, STD testing and treatment, and even simple women’s health exams. Planned Parenthood serves approximately 41 percent of those benefited by Title X funding; although 4,000 other Title X-funded health care providers across the country also provide abortion, if Planned Parenthood specifically were to be defunded, other providers would have to increase their caseloads by an average of 70 percent to service PP’s patients.

So what do all of those numbers mean? The domestic gag rule would take away funding from thousands of health care providers who service millions--many in poverty and without insurance—preventing them from accessing not only abortion but also basic, vital reproductive health care services.

The second key component of the gag rule is that it would prevent doctors and service providers from referring patients who want or need an abortion to a place where they can get one. If a woman found out she was pregnant after being diagnosed with cancer, for example, her doctor would not be allowed to inform her that abortion was even an option. What the gag rule does is just what its name suggests: forcibly prevents service providers from giving women the comprehensive, accurate information about their health care options that they deserve.

It’s clear that this rule is unethical, irrational, dangerous, and unconstitutional.

So: what can you do?

Sign PP’s open letter pledging to protect Title X and oppose the gag rule here.

Leave a comment for HHS and demand that it drop the domestic gag rule through NARAL Pro-Choice America’s petition here.

Call HHS at 1-877-696-6775 to voice your disgust at the rule. (We’ll give you a chance to create your own script here; check out our Basics section for a template and advice!)​

Bringing Back Net Neutrality: Save the Internet ActYou may remember that in December of 2017, the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) voted to repeal net neutrality, a piece of Obama-era legislation requiring internet providers to adhere to a set of regulations about keeping the internet a safe and fair place for all consumers. They passed legislation called the Restoring Internet Freedom bill, which reversed the effects of net neutrality. Activists and public servants alike were outraged— repealing net neutrality had the potential to further inequality between those who would be able to afford potentially more expensive internet service and those who would not, among a variety of other problems. Read more about what net neutrality is and why it matters in our net neut feature, published in December 2017.

Recently, House and Senate Democrats proposed legislation–– the Save the Internet Act–– which would combat the impact of the Restoring Internet Freedom bill. It would establish guidelines that reflect what net neutrality served to protect. According to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, “The Save the Internet Act enacts the three legacy net neutrality principles – no blocking, no throttling and no paid prioritization – and empowers the FCC to prohibit unjust, unreasonable and discriminatory practices.”

What can you do?

Contact your Representatives and Senators and ask them to support the Save the Internet Act and/or any future legislation working against net neutrality.

You can use this script: Hi, my name is ___________ and I’m calling to urge [name of your congressperson] to support the Save the Internet Act and any future legislation combating the FCC’s repeal of net neutrality. Net neutrality is an extremely important issue that should not be swept aside, and it is imperative that it is protected in any and all ways possible. Thank you.

Border UpdateThis year we’ve born witness to a grueling succession of the Trump Administration’s attacks on immigrant communities. The crisis is ongoing:

In February, Trump declared a national state of emergency to forcibly reallocate funding (that Congress voted not to give him) to his border wall. The House of Representatives has voted to reject the emergency declaration, but the decision cannot be overturned without a majority in the Senate as well. Declaring a national emergency in this situation is an abuse of executive power—Congress is the only entity responsible for deciding government funding, and in making this declaration, Trump is attempting to circumvent its will and undermine the checks and balances that make our government democratic. ​

This power abuse aside, the wall is a huge waste of money, will likely not work to prevent the majority of drug trafficking across the border (most of which occurs at official ports of entry), and in general is just an awful plan with overtly racist motivations.

The family separation crisis is not over:

The New York Times reported that since the official end of the administration’s family separation policy in June of 2018, at least 200 more children have been separated from their family members. As was the case with separations while the zero-tolerance policy was technically in effect, the government did little to track the whereabouts of these children and their parents.

Many of the children separated from their parents over the summer have yet to be reunited with them. Some have even been deported without their children, as CNN reports in this heartbreaking story.

Even as more and more evidence of the Trump Administration’s malicious negligence comes to light, DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen continues to stand by the Administration’s decisions and refuses to acknowledge their responsibility in the harm done to these families. She testified for Congress last Wednesday (read her testimony here). Our main takeaway from this all? The administration isn’t budging on its disgusting treatment of immigrants and disregard of its rights. It’s up to us—and Congress—to fight back.

What can you do?

The House has already passed a resolution opposing Trump’s declaration of a National Emergency. If you have a Republican senator, call them and ask them to vote for a similar resolution in the Senate! If you don’t, remind friends and family to do so.

Direct them to this link for Indivisible’s guide to calling your senators in support of the resolution. Their script focuses exclusively on the National Emergency, but if you want to address the long list of ways that the Trump Administration has attacked immigrants, definitely go ahead—placing the Emergency Declaration within the context of the rest of these outrageous acts could bring your call to action more gravity.

Call your representatives and demand that they put ending the inhumane situation at the border at the top of their list of priorities. Even if you have a Democratic senator, your call will remind them that you, as a constituent, care deeply about this issue, and that will make them more likely to act assertively to address it.

Sign this “Separating Families is Inhumane” ACLU petition (and help get it to 250k signatures!)

State Assembly Spotlight: On VaccinesAs of March 12, 2019, there have been 228 confirmed cases of measles in the US, caused by refusal on the part of some parents to vaccinate their kids. Because of the various outbreaks of a disease once thought to be eradicated, some states want to make it harder for parents to opt out of vaccinations. In at least 20 other states, however, bills have been proposed to make vaccine exemption even easier.

Washington State, home to one of the first measles outbreaks of the year, is considering two vaccine bills to curb “personal belief” exemptions, which are most often cited by parents who exempt their kids from vaccinations. H.B. 1638, which passed the House and is being introduced into the Senate, would outlaw these exemptions for the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. Another bill in the Senate, which was just approved by its committee, would outlaw personal belief exemptions for all vaccines.

Arizona is going in the opposite direction, advancing three anti-vaccine bills. H.B. 2470 would legalize religious exemptions for vaccines, as well as allow parents to exempt their kids without having to fill out a form informing them of the risks of not vaccinating (which would make the exemption process even easier and faster). HB.. 2471 requires medical providers to explain all the ingredients and risks of vaccines, which doctors say could confuse or overwhelm patients and make them less likely to get vaccinated. H.B. 2472 allows doctors to give an antibody titer test to patients to see if they are already immune to a disease that the vaccine would prevent. Doctors point out that the antibody titer test is sometimes unreliable—it can say that someone is immune to a disease when they really aren’t. The test is also expensive.

​While many states like Washington are focusing on eliminating vaccine exemptions, enough states are focusing on expanding these exemptions to concern the federal government. Head of the FDA Scott Gottlieb has not released any specific plans, but said in an interview with CNN that “certain states” could “force the hand of federal health agencies” to act.

If reps in your state are considering an anti-vaccine bill, call them and urge them to block it using this script:

Hi, my name is _____, I'm from _____, and I'm calling to ask you to oppose [name or number of bill] regarding vaccination laws in [your state]. Vaccines save lives, and refusal to vaccinate puts everyone at risk of contracting potentially deadly diseases. I urge you to use your conscience in making your decisions on this topic. Thank you.​

Hello Teen Resisters! Happy Black History Month! We've been working on this list to highlight what we should be thinking about and doing this Black History Month. Some of this list is written by our regular staff writers, plus a contribution from Maya Brady-Ngugi. The longer and more historical Part One is written by Tirzah Thomas. We hope this list is empowering and educational. We are deeply committed to the fight for racial justice and are proud to be a part of a generation that is passionate and seeking education. There are many different proposed ways to fix to the undeniable institutional racism in this country, and while we can clearly say that there must be concrete solutions, we know that people in our community have a variety of views. We try to address that, and provide the best actions we can that we believe will aid in the fight against racism and white supremacy. Celebrating Black history and fighting for racial justice goes far beyond February, and we urge non-Black readers in particular to continue to stay updated with our actions against racial injustice throughout the year. Please feel free to look at our Index by Issue page to see each list where we have covered institutional racism.

A note: In our last list, we covered the alleged attack on Jussie Smollett. Since then, more information has come out that points to claims that the attack was staged. It’s hard to tell what really happened right now, and you can certainly find information about it online. There is an ongoing process and investigation involving the FBI and the Chicago Police Dept., and the truth is not so clear at the moment. We apologize for any confusion our reporting may have caused. We do not regret our initial reaction of belief when someone told a seemingly credible and certainly feasible story of suffering. We also know that, if this attack did not really happen, it will not deter us from acknowledging and fighting against the numerous hate crimes that do happen, particularly to trans women of color. Thank you for your understanding.

Without further ado:

Part One: The Diaspora Doesn't Fall Short

written by Tirzah Thomas​To many in America, February is simply the second month of the year, significant only in that it has a short number of days and represents the beginning of the end of deep winter. But for me, February means more. February is a month that celebrates Black achievement, Black excellence, and Black history. February is Black History Month. What does Black History Month mean? To me, this month is when I not only recognize my history, but I push myself to recognize others’ Black history. You see, this month is not called African-American History Month or Caribbean Descent History Month or even Afro-Latinx History Month. This month, we recognize all those histories and many more. We unite as Black people and we reflect on how far we have come and how much farther we need to go. As we examine our history, we also enable ourselves to create a blueprint for our future.

Enslaved people walking in chains

It is clear that African Americans have come a long way, but we have a long way to go in terms of fighting against racism and for equity in addition to equality (more on that later). African Americans descend from people who were originally kidnapped in Africa from the 1400s to the 1800s, put on unsanitary and often deadly ships, and sent to the Americas to be used for slave labor. This practice—commonly known as the transatlantic slave trade—continued for centuries, and slavery persisted in America long after the slave trade itself was discontinued. Slavery is what the United States was founded and built upon and with. Many enslaved people found ways to escape through the Underground Railroad, and many more could not find freedom. As all of this happened, a lot of these people lost their connection to African culture. Thus, African Americans started to create their own culture. That culture developed into the unique Black culture thrives today in the United States.

The Difference Between Equality and Equity (and why it matters)Although slavery in its traditional form was abolished with the ratification of the 13th amendment in 1865, the oppression of Blacks in the United States did not even come close to ceasing. Black people continue to suffer in America; white supremacy has prevented Black people from gaining political, social, and economic power and equality. But that has not stopped them. Instead, it has pushed them to fight harder, each battle bringing us closer and closer to finally establishing racial justice in this country. In 2019, according to law, it seems as though a Black person has essentially the same rights as any other American citizen. ​Sounds great, right? Yes! It’s great! But it does not mean that we are done with fighting. Our fight no longer focuses its energy mostly on achieving equality, but rather on achieving equity. The difference between the two ideas is key—while equality happens when everyone is given the same resources and rights, equity happens when these resources and rights are given specifically and intentionally with the mission of getting everyone to the same level. This cartoon explains the difference well:

The equality/equity disparity is epitomized in what the modern racial justice movement fights for. Despite the fact that equal rights are usually written into law, there is so much racist history embedded in our nation—yet to be confronted—that these laws rarely bring Black people and white people to the same levels. Our supposedly fair governing code contains innumerable loopholes: a white cop can get away with killing a Black kid, Black people are put in jail for the same petty crimes that white people can walk away from, and implicit bias is used as a valid justification for the murder of a black person, to name just a few. What we need now is explicit legislation to combat those loopholes and achieve equity. We still have many battles to fight, and we will not stop until we get the equity that we deserve.

A Few Different Black HistoriesWhile some slave ships were taken to the United States, some were taken to the Caribbean. In one instance, a man named Papa York, who lived in Ghana, was forced to move to Grenada as an enslaved person. There, he had children, who ultimately branched into a whole family line. They call themselves the Quashie people. Some Black people are able to trace their history and figure out where they came from, like in this example, which is a wonderful blessing. Those who can do so are able to get a sense of where and how their ancestors lived originally, something that many Black people are unable to do.

The family tree of the Quashie people. Image from Gabrielle Cayenne.

The French also brought ships full of Africans to the Caribbean in the 1600s and 1700s. Some of those Africans ended up on the island of St. Vincent. In St. Vincent, African people lived peacefully amongst the French settlers (despite having been taken away from their native land against their will), and as they intermingled with the French and the natives of St. Vincent, they created the new Garifuna community. The Garifuna community created its own language, comprised of languages from different parts of members’ identities. In 1796, the British arrived on the island and exiled the Garifuna people. The Garifuna were never enslaved by the British, but they were shipped off to the Honduran bay island of Roatan. From there, Garifunas spread to Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Belize, and Honduras. Eventually, the Spanish took over all of these countries except for Belize. This pushed the Garifunas to learn Spanish in order to communicate with the new people. The Spanish discriminated against the Garifunas because of their dark skin color and forced them to live in horrible conditions. Countless Garifunas overcame this oppression and continue to live in these countries today, but their culture is rapidly being forgotten. In each of the countries where Garifunas live, they continue to fight for recognition.

These are only a few examples of the Black history that resulted from the transatlantic slave trade—there is so much more to be covered. Not every Black person has the same history. Not all Black people face the same discrimination. Black people who also identify with other marginalized identities- queer, woman, a religious minority, etc.- face intertwined discriminations in their daily lives. We all have different experiences, but instead of dividing us, our differences push us to unite as one and fight for the same thing: equity in whatever country we live in, because there are Black people all around the world, and there is racism all around the world. As a race, we have come so far, and we continue to fight battle after battle; our resilience and perseverance highlight our strength and beauty. All across the globe, Black people were told that we should be ashamed of what we are. But as we look back to our history, we know that our Blackness is strong. Our Blackness is unique. Our Blackness is beautiful.

Part Two: Modern Racial Justice in the United States

What is Mass Incarceration?The united states incarcerates more people per capita than any other country in the world, so while the US contains 5% of the world’s population, it contains 25% of the world’s incarcerated population. But the staggering statistics associated with present day mass incarceration in the US didn't arrive overnight. During the 1980s, while Reagan was in office, the prison population doubled from 329,000 to 627,000 due to the ‘war on drugs’ that Nixon started perpetuating in the ‘70s. The roots of mass incarceration, and the racism associated with it, can also be traced back to slavery and systemic white supremacy. African Americans are six times more likely to be sentenced to prison for the same crime as a White person.There are 536,000 people in the United States who are detained before being tried. This is due to the fact that in most states, a cash bail must be paid in order to return home before your trial. Although its original purpose was to ensure individuals would show up to their trial, the effects of the bail system have disproportionately impacted low income individuals. Often times, individuals who can’t pay bail are arrested due to minor offenses (like petty theft or marijuana charges). In conjunction with individuals’ inability to pay bail, the for profit bail bond industry feeds off of their inability to pay. Instead of a family/individual paying a refundable sum of bail money to the courts, they could choose to pay a nonrefundable fraction of the money to a private bail bondsman in order for them to front the money. The rest of the bail bond would be paid back in installments, typically with high interests and with significant collateral, such as houses, at state. The bail bond industry makes about $2 billion annually.For-profit prisons, run by private corporations, are yet another unjust part of the US system of Mass Incarceration. Although the corporations claim to be saving money for the state, it is unclear whether that is the case. Additionally, they create a dynamic in which incarcerating individuals is more profitable and therefore incentivizing mass incarceration. There are other aspects of the system that are deeply problematic, including horrible prison conditions and a justice system that often persecutes innocent people.People have many different perspectives- even in our own TR community- on how to deal with this issue. Some feel that grasping the problem at the root requires abolition of prisons. Others feel that the system just needs to be reformed. And there are a variety of positions in between. We’re providing the realistic action you can take depending on what you feel is the best way to address this. While we can’t give you realistic small actions to take to fully abolish prisons, we highly recommend checking out Close Rikers, which is attempting to close Rikers Island, the highly abusive New York City prison. What we can all agree on is that it will take a lot of work to rid a system of its inequities when the system was built upon the backs of the oppressed using the most glaring example of inequality. But that work must be done.

As a multifaceted issue, there are many implementable solutions that address small parts of the much larger system. Below are a few:

Ban cash bail/bail reform. Some states such as California and New Jersey have already done this! Although the bail reform applied in both of these states is not perfect, it is a step in creating a system less based on income and more focused on the individual and what they are convicted of.

Ban for profit prisons. This would aim to de-incentivize the incarceration of individuals in hopes of lowering the prison population.

Prison isn’t the only option! For low level offences and non violent misdemeanors, prison does not have to be the one size fits all sentence.

Stop the war on drugs. One in five incarcerated people is locked up for a drug offence. That being said, Portugal is an example of how decriminalizing drugs actually led to a drop in HIV, overdoses, and drug related crime. For more information on Portugal’s policies check out this article.

Nonviolent De-Escalation Tacticsguest written by Maya Brady-Ngugi​In altercations between law enforcement and citizens, nonviolent de-escalation tactics help to reduce the level of intensity and the risk of violence. Central to de-escalation tactics is communication, creating space, and slowing down in order to defuse potentially dangerous situations. In instances where nonviolent de-escalation is used, officers are able to rely on peaceful and functional tactics to de-escalate the situation rather than immediately turning to the violent power of a gunshot. Training police in nonviolent strategies like these could be a major step in improving relationships between police and people of color. In most states, nonviolent training is not required, and in the states where it is required, it is not mandated. Every year around 1,000 people are shot and killed by the police. Police are trained to have very few options in nonviolent handling of a situation. Instead, they are trained to taze, shoot, and arrest people when situations seem out of control (or even in control). Nonviolent tactics save lives, and there needs to be a greater push to implement policies where officers are trained in nonviolent de-escalation. Police departments in New York, Chicago, Dallas, Las Vegas, and Ferguson, MI have begun nonviolent de-escalation training and all saw a reduction in the use of force in situations between police and citizens. Dallas, for example, saw an 18% drop in use of force a year after nonviolent de-escalation training was instituted. While other solutions are necessary to address the systemic and deeply embedded white supremacy at the root of the issue of police brutality in the US, this policy would decrease the risk of violence as we discuss more radical solutions to the problem. Mandated nonviolent de-escalation for police will allow for safer communities and better relations with police. ​What You Can Do:Push for nonviolent de-escalation tactics in your area! You can always push for things in your city by leaving a comment on the city gov or police department’s website. Look out for anti-police brutality meetings in your area and remain vocal on social media. And read up! Concrete solutions like these are vital in the fight against racist police violence.

The End Racial Profiling ActAcross the centuries, the criminal justice system in the U.S. has rarely worked in favor of African Americans; in fact, it has more often worked against them. The examples are many and crushing: a decades-long history of police brutality, all-white juries, police violence against civil rights workers, and, of course, laws designed to allow brutal punishment of enslaved people without legal recourse.During Black History Month, Teens Resist is returning to a bill we highlighted earlier, one designed to combat an issue that falls squarely within this pattern of injustice and discrimination at the hands of law enforcement: racial profiling. The rate at which Black men and other people of color are targeted by police is hugely out of proportion to the rates of their white counterparts. Black men are more likely to be stopped on the street, stopped while driving, arrested, and incarcerated than whites: while one in thirteen white men spends time in jail in their lifetime, the rate is four times higher for black men, one in three of which are incarcerated at some point. These discrepancies don’t represent the actual crime rate among blacks and whites, especially when it comes to drug offenses, which has been especially present following the War on Drugsthe greatest cause for incarceration nationally. While African Americans and whites use drugs, especially minor ones like marijuana, at comparable rates, Black men are far more likely to be arrested for using them. Racial profiling is not a concentrated, controlled issue; it is rampant all over the country, and often facilitated by local policies (New York readers, see Stop and Frisk). Racial profiling—apart from being just plainly contradictory to the idea of an unbiased criminal justice system—has devastating effects on Black communities, both in terms of incarceration, as we discussed above, and the role it plays in wearing down trust between law enforcement and the people they serve. Not to mention, when police are spending all their time targeting a specific demographic, they can’t effectively do the job they’re tasked with—keeping communities safe. And as written in the ACLU article on the issue, “Racial profiling is not only hurtful and wrong, but it can have deadly consequences. Police are more likely to use excessive and lethal force against people of color, and these interactions often end in death.”H.R. 1498—the End Racial Profiling Act—is a proposal reintroduced in this Congress that aims to eradicate these kinds of damaging practices in law enforcement. The law would officially prohibit racial profiling, giving victims the chance to bring complaints to court. It would authorize federal grants dedicated to collecting data about the practice, and importantly, require local law enforcement offices to “maintain policies and procedures to eliminate racial profiling, including training on racial profiling issues, the collection of data, and procedures for handling complaints.”Of course, the End Racial Profiling Act is only a necessary first step. The anti-bias trainings that the law could mandate would have an important impact, but they cannot single-handedly or fully solve the problem that underlies all of this: many people’s baseline assumptions about who is “dangerous” or “threatening.” Always, and during this month especially, it is critical for all of us—but most especially white people—to recognize those assumptions, assess where they come from, understand their place in the historical narrative, and think about what role white people have in creating and perpetuating these biases. We highly suggest reading some of the articles linked as sources above for more detail on this subject—and as a way to get thinking about these prejudices and biases.